How did the middle classes differentiate themselves and create a self-identity?
What will be an ideal response?
The middle classes differentiated themselves from the lower classes specifically by many physical characteristics: styles of dress, soft hands, and their accents. Most found themselves delineated by cultural values, however, including a work ethic, emphasis on financial independence, and identification by profession. The increased social mobility provided by the opportunities of industrialization, as well as the liberal emphasis on self-determination and individualism, allowed many to become self-made in terms of accruing financial stability. Financial stability contributed to a sense of class because middle-class members felt they had reached their level of status through achievement rather than through privilege of birth. To further this sense of achievement and ability, most middle-class men made sure their sons, and increasingly their daughters, received a quality education so that they might aspire to some kind of profession or better life situation. The growth of universities was not simply a feature of the English middle classes, but was seen throughout Europe, as with the examples of Berlin's Bauakademie and Gewerbeakademie. These institutions placed an emphasis on practical education. A significant difference is that the universities founded in Germany tended to be state-sponsored rather than privately funded, like the university found in London. Samuel Smiles's Self-Help set the tone for middle-class goals by emphasizing the values of thrift, hard work, sobriety, self-denial, good habits, and the ability to learn from mistakes.
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The Council of Trent's most important reforms concerned __________.
A. religious tolerance B. discipline within the church C. transubstantiation D. the power structure of the church
Industrialization and the factory system in the late nineteenth century produced an American labor force characterized by a
A) low absentee rate. B) high level of job satisfaction. C) low annual turnover. D) high level of productivity.
Around 1400, much of East Africa was Muslim
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh electrified the world with his
a. arrival in Asia in the Spirit of St. Louis. b. knock-out victory over Jack Dempsey. c. breaking of "Babe" Ruth's home-run record. d. vocal performance in The Jazz Singer. e. solo eastward crossing of the Atlantic by air.